This invention relates generally to ovens and, more particularly, to control systems for ovens to facilitate more even cooking.
In thermal/convection ovens, the food is cooked by the air in the cooking cavity, which is heated by a heat source. Standard thermal ovens do not have a fan to circulate the hot air in the cooking cavity. Some convection ovens use the same heat source as a standard thermal oven, but add a fan to increase cooking efficiency by circulating the hot air around the food. Thermal/convection ovens can be used to cook a wide variety of foods.
Evenness of cooking is desirable for the ovens. Some known ovens monitor the cavity temperature, and turn on/off the heat source when the monitored temperature is below/above a predetermined value. However, known ovens inject a considerable amount of energy into the cooking cavity in a relatively short time period, such that the cavity temperature may not be timely and precisely controlled. Therefore, at least some known ovens have a cavity temperature variation of more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which may lead to uneven cooking and causes variation in browning and a darkening around the edges in baked products.